I’m a vegetarian, but if I wanted a really great pork recipe, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t head right over to the Israeli cookbook section of my local bookstore. Or to the section, for that matter.
There’s actually a law on the books in Israel making it illegal to sell pork (though I know plenty of Israelis who have gotten hold of it through various underhanded methods) but that didn’t stop Dr. Eli Landau, author of the first Israeli pork cookbook. Um, hooray?
According to the NY Times:
With 80 mainly Mediterranean recipes and Eastern European dishes, “The White Book” tries to reveal the secrets of the pig for cooks who have never prepared it nor perhaps even tasted it.
Predictably, Orthodox authorities are outraged, but for some reason have decided to just simmer in anger rather than protest and possibly help publicize the shanda. I kind of want Dr. Landau to hang out with fellow Israeli Einat Admony, the chef at NY restaurant Ballaboosta. Ballaboosta means “perfect housewife” in Yiddish (well, kind of) and on the menu at Ballaboosta you can find with ham, and a side of applewood bacon.
